Home
by meeko33905
Summary: [Beauty and the Beast] Belle and Maurice adjust to a new life in a small, provential villiage. Set two years before the begining of the film.
1. Goodbye

Disclaimer: I do not own "Beauty and the Beast" or the characters of Belle, Maurice, Gaston. Philippe, the Bimbettes, or the Bookseller.   
  
Chapter One  
  
As the dawn of a new day began to break, rays of sunlight began to spill through Belle's window. It was a day that Belle had been dreading for months. She sat at her window and looked down to the street bellow. Her father Maurice was loading the last of their trunks onto a cart that was hitched to their horse Philippe. After he finished his job, he came back into the house and climbed the stairs to Belle's room. He walked over to where his daughter was sitting. "Well, that was the last of it," he told her.   
  
"I wish you would have let me help you with them, papa," Belle said as he sat down next to her.   
  
"Nonsense," he smiled. "I may not be as strong as I use to be, but I can still handle a few little trunks."   
  
"I know you can, but I would have rather been out there with you than sitting in here. It's so empty and lonely."   
  
Maurice put his arm around his daughter. "I know it is sweetheart, but this is the way it has to be. We can't stay here in the city- we can't afford to. Business has been so poor these past years. We're fortunate enough that your uncle is giving his farm in the country to us."   
  
"But it will be so far away. It won't be home."   
  
"Maurice smiled. "Belle, home will be where the heart is. Wherever the ones you love are is your home."   
  
"I know, papa, but why do we have to move to the country? Nothing exciting ever happens in the country."   
  
Maurice looked puzzled at his daughter. "How do you know that?"   
  
"Well, in all my books, adventures and exciting things only happen in cities and in castles and on ships at sea."   
  
Maurice chuckled. "That may be true, but in the country, I'll have I'll have more time to work on my inventions, and once I get a good one, then I can sell it and we'll have enough money to go on enough adventures for a whole lifetime."   
  
Belle sighed. "It isn't just that. I can't help but feel that …" she stopped.  
  
"What is it?"   
  
Tears began to fill Belle's eyes. "I can't help but feel that we're leaving mama behind."   
  
A tear came to Maurice's eye. It had been a hard year for the two of them since Belle's mother had passed away and he knew it had been especially rough for his beloved daughter. He hugged her gently. "Belle, I could never leave your mama behind. She will always be in our hearts, but this is something we have to do." Maurice looked into her beautiful brown eyes now filled with tears. "Oh, she would have been so proud of you."   
  
Belle hugged her father and began to cry. "I miss her."   
  
"I miss her too." Maurice rubbed Belle's back. "But I know Mama would have understood that it's best for us to go."   
  
"I wish I could believe that papa."   
  
"It's true. In the country I'll be a farmer. Now that's something I can do. Not like being a merchant. I was just no good at that, but farming I can do."   
  
Belle looked at her father and smiled, though tears were still in her eyes. "And I'll be there to help you."   
  
"You see? Everything will work out just fine," he assured her. Maurice looked out the window. "Well, we had better get going if we want to make it to the country before dark."   
  
"I know, papa, but if you don't mind, I'd like to look around the house one last time."   
  
"Of course, I'll be waiting for you outside."   
  
After Maurice had left, Belle stood up and began walking around the house. Every room was filled with so many memories. She could not help but beginning to cry again. She did not want to leave, but she knew her father was right. They had no other choice. As she walked to the door she gave the house one last look before joining her father. 


	2. A New Life

Chapter Two  
  
'And they lived happily ever after.' Belle smiled and closed her book. She looked towards her father who was sitting next to her in their cart, guiding Philippe through the forest paths. "Papa," she called, "how long do you think it will be until we reach the village? It's been such a long trip already."   
  
"Well," Maurice thought aloud, "the innkeeper in the village where we stayed at last night said that it was just a few hours away. If that's true, I'd say that we should be reaching it any minute now." Maurice looked far into the distance past the hills ahead of them. "Look, Belle," he pointed in the distance, "there it is." Maurice patted his horse's back. "Did you hear that, boy? We should be there soon and then you'll be able to get some rest." Philippe was happy at hearing this and continued making his way toward the village with even more energy than before.   
  
It would not be long until they reached the cottage. "This must be the place." Maurice told his daughter as he helped her down from the cart. After unhitching Philippe, they walked towards the cottage. It was small- much smaller than the house where the two had liked at in the city- but seemed pleasant enough. Maurice turned to Belle. "So, what do you think?"   
  
Belle did not know what to say. After sixteen years of city life, this could certainly be quite a change. She knew that this was a life unlike anything she has ever known. The sights and sounds around her were unfamiliar and foreign to her and deep in her heart, she was very unsure that she could get use to a new life like what appeared to be in front of her. She took a deep breath. "It's… different."   
  
"That it is," Maurice said as he put his arm around her, "but it'll all be all right." Belle smiled at him. "Well," "he continued "What do you say we take a look inside?"   
  
"Alright Papa," Belle agreed and the two climbed the stairs to the front door.   
  
Maurice opened the cottage door for his daughter. "After you, my dear," he said holding the door open for her and then followed her in. The Cottage was larger on the inside than it seemed from the outside, but was still small. Even the furniture was smaller and much simpler than anything in the city. Still, it was nicely decorated and big enough to suit their needs. "Well," Maurice said, "isn't this nice?"   
  
Belle agreed. There was nothing about the cottage that she could possibly complain about. There were two bedrooms with cozy-looking beds, a fireplace to keep them warm in the winter, and even a bookshelf with a few books on it. Just then, she spotted a piece of paper sitting on a table. "Papa, look." She said, pointing to the paper.   
  
"What have we got here? Why, it looks like a note." Maurice picked up the paper and began reading it. After he did, he explained to Belle what he had read. "It says that the wood for the fire is in the shed and that the animal feed is in down in the cellar." After reading that, the two heard Philippe whinnying from outside. "Don't worry, Philippe," Maurice called out to him, "You'll get your breakfast." He turned to his daughter. "Well, let's see if we can find this cellar," he said as he led Belle outside the cottage once again.   
  
It did not take long for them to find the cellar. "Papa, I found it," Belle said as she opened the cellar doors.   
  
Maurice walked to his daughter. "So you have. Well, let's take a look-see inside it." The two climbed down into the cellar. It was large and only a small portion of it was used for storing the grain and oats for the animals. There was lots of room and even a fireplace. "Well," the old man said as he looked around with a twinkle in his eye, "not bad. Not bad at all. This could make a nice workshop- a place where I can work on my inventions."   
  
"That would be wonderful, Papa." Belle said smiling widely.   
  
"Yes," he announced with satisfaction, "this will be where I make my big invention."   
  
"What will it be?" Belle asked curiously.   
  
Maurice smiled. "I'm not sure yet, but whatever it is, it's sure to be something great."   
  
"Oh, I know you can do it, papa." Belle hugged her father. Just then, they heard Philippe whiney again. "I think he's hungry." Belle said.   
  
"I'd better get some oats for him then." Maurice walked over to get some oats to put into the horse's feedbag. "And after that, we can start bringing the trunks inside."   
  
"As long as you let me help you Papa," Belle replied.   
  
"Of course, of course. Now we'd better hurry. These animals aren't going to feed themselves."  
  
Belle smiled at her father and the two climbed back out from the cellar. At that moment, she noticed something different in her father. He seemed to be happier than she had seen him for more than a year. He chuckled as he looked around the cottage. "Yes, this should suit us quite nicely." 


End file.
